Twenty-three startups have been selected to participate in the Fall 2026 Stage 0 workshop of the VentureWell Ocean Enterprise Accelerator. With the support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), we are pleased to welcome these innovators as they embark on the first steps of developing and commercializing technologies that will transform and shape the future of America’s coasts. Together, VentureWell and NOAA remain committed to advancing the core mission of the Ocean Enterprise Accelerator program—accelerating the adoption of new ocean data technologies and services that benefit the United States and strengthen our growing blue economy.
The Stage 0 introductory program is designed to empower America’s innovators on their path to commercialization, equipping inventors and small businesses with bold ideas for coastal solutions with the strategies they need to bring their visions to life.
Through a three-day virtual training workshop and a month of dedicated mentorship and customer discovery, participants will build an understanding of the steps required to advance their innovations and the commercialization pathways available to launch them. This preparation positions ventures to apply for continued support within the Ocean Enterprise Accelerator program funnel, including the next step: Stage 1.
Meet the Cohort
Adaptide LLC
Carlsbad, California
Adaptide is developing an innovative solution that captures energy from moving water, offering an affordable, durable, and reliable way to power local microgrids.
AHOI
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
AHOI is blockchain infrastructure that gives boats verified digital identity, turning vessel data into tamper-proof records for regulatory compliance, conservation funding, and ocean science.
Aphotic
Honolulu, Hawaii
Aphotic builds low-cost, underwater monitors that combine configurable sensors with smart tech to enable long-term ocean monitoring at scale.
Benthic Spectral
Plainwell, Michigan
Benthic Spectral’s artificial intelligence (AI)–enabled underwater advanced imaging system delivers real-time, non-invasive seafloor mapping at 6,000-meter depths for blue economy and defense applications.
DiveSight
Tampa, Florida
DiveSight aims to record and report accurate underwater conditions for dive site operators and individual divers.
FINN—Focused Intelligence for Nautical Navigation
Centerport, New York
FINN is a marine intelligence platform that works aboard vessels with limited internet connectivity, turning vessel, voyage, and environmental data into timely, explainable insights.
HaloScope
Kaneohe, Hawaii
HaloScope is designing a remote monitoring system for aspects of coral reef health, based on satellite imagery and AI image processing, to support resource management agencies, conservation organizations, and tourism.
Lasting Ground
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Lasting Ground connects a property address to a clear, source-dated record of flood, coastal, and land-use data pulled from disparate federal, state, and local sources. It shows what information is confirmed and what still needs review, so that insurers, lenders, attorneys, and property owners get a defensible starting point for one address or a whole portfolio.
MirzaWEC
Queens, New York
MirzaWEC is a patented, self-powered ocean observation and renewable energy platform designed to provide marine infrastructure with reliable power and environmental intelligence.
Nerithian, Inc.
Washington, D.C.
Nerithian is developing a low-cost, autonomous underwater robot that installs artificial reef structures for habitat restoration and coastal protection, without cranes or dive crews.
NuWa Solutions
Rockport, Maine
NuWa develops site-readiness, dosing, and monitoring tools for responsible coastal Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE)—a process to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and store it in the ocean—helping aquaculture and working-waterfront sites improve water chemistry and enable future carbon removal.
PamliEcoConnect
Bayboro, North Carolina
PamliEcoConnect is a U.S.-built electric hydrofoil ferry platform for recreational, commercial charter, and defense that cuts energy consumption by as much as 80% versus conventional fast ferries.
QT Lab
Longmont, Colorado
QT Lab develops AI-powered systems that automate repetitive tasks in ornamental-fish farming facilities, reducing labor costs and improving fish health outcomes.
Retssop Group
Dover, Delaware
Retssop Group makes an AI-powered ocean intelligence platform to detect, predict, and respond to hydrocarbon spills through aerial and underwater sensors, oil characterization, and adaptive recovery systems.
Searu LLC
San Diego, California
Searu Marine combines citizen observations with oceanographic and weather data and artificial intelligence to deliver location-specific predictions for marine visibility.
Sentinel OS
San Francisco, California
Sentinel OS monitors subsea cables, ports, and offshore energy sites in real time—automatically detecting threats, responding to them, and capturing evidence, without waiting on human intervention.
Sentiq Robotics
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Sentiq Robotics develops low-cost underwater listening devices that classify underwater sound and deliver compact reports, for affordable, ongoing ocean and harbor monitoring.
TCarta
Denver, Colorado
TCarta uses AI and satellite radar to automatically map remote, shifting coastlines—with information delivered fast, on demand, through a web interface.
Text Para Corp
Orlando, Florida
Text Para Corp is developing an arm-mounted ocean distress device that uses hybrid terrestrial cellular and satellite connectivity for reliable two-way distress signaling.
Threshold Marine
Boca Raton, Florida
Threshold Marine’s shark deterrents keep sharks from stealing bait and catch off fishing lines, protecting the sharks from accidental capture without impacting the species targeted by commercial fishermen.
TideWrack Systems
Waterford, New York
TideWrack makes mobile, modular processing systems that convert Sargassum seaweed from a costly coastal waste into recoverable bioproducts and chemical feedstocks near the shores where it’s collected.
Ultinat
Ithaca, New York
Ultinat is developing tiny, biodegradable capsules made from natural materials, designed to replace the plastic microcapsules used across many industries, helping cut down on microplastic pollution in the ocean.
WISP Ocean Technologies
Durham, New Hampshire
WISP Ocean Technologies develops wave-powered ocean monitoring platforms, enabling longer deployments and expanded observations in remote regions.
We congratulate the selected participants of the Fall 2026 Ocean Enterprise Accelerator Stage 0 cohort. The program will be hosted virtually from October 6-8, with support continuing through the closing session on October 29.
Stay informed about VentureWell’s offerings and opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs by joining our email list.